The Supreme Court has reaffirmed the death sentence imposed on Maryam Sanda, the daughter-in-law of a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for committing culpable homicide.

In a split decision of four to one, a five-member panel of the apex court upheld the judgment sentencing her to death by hanging. The court dismissed all the issues she raised in her bid to overturn both her conviction and sentence, describing the appeal as lacking merit.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Moore Adumein held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The apex court ruled that the decision of the Court of Appeal, which had earlier affirmed the verdict and sentence of the trial court, was unassailable.

The Supreme Court further held that it was improper for President Bola Tinubu, as head of the executive arm of government, to seek to exercise his powers of pardon in a culpable homicide case in which an appeal was still pending before the courts.

An Abuja High Court had, on January 27, 2020, sentenced Sanda to death by hanging after finding her guilty of stabbing her husband, Mr. Bilyamin Bello, to death at their residence in Abuja in 2017.

Although she had spent about six years and eight months at the Suleja Correctional Centre, President Tinubu, acting in the exercise of his executive powers, subsequently reduced her sentence to a total of 12 years’ imprisonment.

Explaining the decision, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), said her inclusion in the recent presidential pardon was based on “compassionate grounds and in the best interest of the children”.

According to Mr. Fagbemi, factors that earned her clemency included “good conduct, embracing a new lifestyle, serving as a model to other prisoners, and showing remorse”.